Attorney
Last month, a video showing a daytime assault in the Washington, D.C. subway system showed up on YouTube. The video, titled “Two DC Youth Fight on Metro after School,” depicted two people assaulting each other while a group of youths watched and recorded the incident. Due to YouTube’s content restrictions, the video is no longer viewable.
Marks on the rail car indicate that the assault may have occurred on the Orange Line. This is the latest in a line of violent incidents on the DC Metro. Last month, Metro officials said it intended to increase patrols at L’Enfant Plaza after a group of people attacked a man there in January. That incident also showed up on YouTube.
Last August, Metro Transit Police began escorting disruptive groups of people through the subway system after a fight at L’Enfant Plaza. Officers initially scattered a group of youths at Gallery Place Station, but the group gathered again at L’Enfant Plaza where a fight spilled onto the platform. Police arrested one adult and two juveniles. Four people required hospitalization.
The Metro transit system has 86 rail stations and more than 12,000 bus stops. Starting in 2009, Metro officials increased patrols in areas known as gathering points for young people. The police hope a heavier police presence doing the hours when students commute will curb the number of assaults.
If you are an assault victim, you have the right to compensation in a civil lawsuit against your attacker. A Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyer can help you pursue a claim. Contact Roger Johnson, a Washington, D.C. personal injury attorney at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis for a free initial consultation.